To be a Daughter

On my dresser sits this card.

Todd sees it and asks,

"Did my parents send you a card?"

I smile, but it hurts a little.

Of course he would think it's from them.

Who else would it be?

"No honey, it's from my Mom and Dad...an old one."

~ ~ ~

Sometimes I need a reminder.

A visible, tangible reminder that yes,

I am someone's daughter.

For almost 19 years

I had a mother and a father.

They loved me.

They thought about me.

They prayed about me.

They worried about me.

They cared about me.

They encouraged me.

They supported me.

They were proud of me.

They gave me Valentines.

 

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

I am so grateful to be a

wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, and much more.

But sometimes...

I just want to be loved as a daughter again.

The Power of a Name

I believe I could put the words "Aunt Sue's" or "Aunt Lori's" in front of most any recipe and the chances of my kids liking it would multiply.

Somehow my sisters expand my children's taste buds and put my minimal kitchen skills to shame. Aunt Sue and Aunt Lori treat us to all sorts of culinary delights that rarely if ever grace our table at home. Food is a love language they obviously inherited from our mom.

So here's the problem.

I added black beans to Aunt Sue's Chicken Enchilada recipe last night.

GASP!

Why is it that the very same beans that so easily hide in our favorite taco soup are now deemed repulsive when sitting side by side with chicken and slathered in sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cheddar cheese?

Go figure.

Moral of the story?
Don't mess with culinary success.
Or... Aunt Sue, how about adding black beans next time?

Aunt Sue's Chicken Enchiladas

Sauce: (mix together)
   1 can cream of chicken soup
   1/4 cup salsa
   1/4 cup sour cream
   1/4 cup milk
   1/4 pkg taco seasoning



Filling:
   1 small onion chopped
   3 cups chopped cooked chicken, broth reserved
   1/2 cup sour cream
   1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
   1/4 pkg taco seasoning
   1/4 cup salsa

12 Tortillas (taco size)
1 cup cheddar for topping

Directions:
Saute onion in chicken broth until tender.
Stir in sour cream, cheese, salsa, taco seasoning, and chicken.  Set aside.
Mix sauce. Pour about 1 cup of sauce into a 9x13 greased baking dish.
Divide filling--about 1/3 cup into each tortilla.
Roll up and place seam side down in the pan.
Spread remaining sauce over the top.
Sprinkle 1 cup sharp cheddar over sauce.
Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake 5-10 more minutes.

Optional:
Rinse and drain a can of black beans.  Add 1/2 cup to the chicken filling. I dare you.

Christmas Slides For the Family

I don't know about you guys, 

but I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!

Brrrr...it's cold out there!  Time to take your memories inside to warm up!

There's no place like home for the holidays!
I hope you enjoyed the memories of Christmas at home.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a
goodnight!

You've Been Blogged

 Dear Family, 

You were warned this might happen.

Yep. You've been blogged.

But don't worry.  I have a very small audience.

I'm sorry.  I can't help it.  You're all so photogenic!

We had such a fun day together.  I can't just let it go un-documented.

I promise your identities will not be revealed.

I'll even throw in an unflattering picture of myself  if it makes you feel better.

I'm hoping this day was the beginning of a new tradition.

Why do the kids always look so fun...

and the adults always look so serious?

You can't be serious ALL the time.

Especially when you've found the perfect tree.  

 Josie and Gabby get the credit for picking out this beauty. 

Where's the other two?

Playing.

While we do all the "work."

I love these kids.  They make everything more fun. 

(We miss you two down south!)

Let's go!  We're getting hungry!

Now this one I'm not going to talk about.  It's a little shady.

Table for seventeen, please!

A cozy old train depot turned restaurant provided the perfect atmosphere for our breakfast/lunch/supper/snack/dessert/meal in the middle of the afternoon.

The perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.

There. 

 That wasn't so bad, was it?

Safe and Sound

Last Sunday we got a flat tire. "We" -- meaning all six of us in the van. On the highway. It's cold. It's windy. We're 30 miles from home.

Where's the Greatest American Hero when you need him?

I loved that show way back when.  I bet my brother can still sing the whole theme song. "Believe it or not--I'm walking on air..."  Remember that? Never mind.  Back to the saga on the highway.

My Mr. has never been put to this test. Do it himself? Nah. He has a better plan. One quick phone call and help is on it's way. Thank you for roadside assistance programs and cell phones!

Soon Mr. Roadside Assistance arrives, but he's having some difficulties. The big kids and Dad have to get out of the van and stand in the highway ditch or the lift won't work for Mr. Roadside Assistance. Mommy and Josie stay in the van. We pray. Mommy's nervous--thinking of the late night news headlines, and traffic accidents, and scary stuff.  Mommy prays some more.

Mr. Roadside Assistance finally gets the van up and the wheel off, ready for the spare. Problem is, a spare tire doesn't do you any good if you can get it off it's rusted bolts. Yes, that's right. The spare tire won't budge.  Mr. Roadside assistance can't help us anymore. Good-bye Mr. Roadside Assistance.

Now we're going to need Mr. Tow Truck. Another call. Another wait. But thank you for tow truck drivers! Problem is, six people are not going to fit in the cab of a tow truck. We don't know a soul in this town. It's late, and dark, and cold, and windy. It would take friends or family at least 40 minutes to get to us. More praying. We're going to need a taxi cab for six. Another call. But thank you for taxi cab drivers! We pile back into our van and wait on the highway, still praying.

Mr. Tow Truck arrives.

Mr. Taxi Van arrives.

God provides.

And we all head home--a thirty mile tow truck ride and a thirty mile taxi ride. It's the most expensive ride we've ever had, but worth every penny just to be home, all safe and sound.

Who needs superheros in tights? 

God answers prayers.

The Best Medicine.

It's our tradition to take the birthday person out to the restaurant of their choosing.

I choose a favorite local spot where we could all enjoy the end of summer evening air.

Things got off to a slow start. 

Dad knows how to get the party started.

 

 What's the message???

"LORDY! LORDY! MOM TURNED FORTY!!!"

Very funny, Mister.

Laughter really is the best medicine.